Daily Archives: January 3, 2008

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?
Ate oysters — and they were DELICIOUS!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did go to the library more, but I didn’t read 30 books. I made new resolutions and you can find them here.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not last year. I think everyone I knew was too busy getting married.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?
This one.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
The ability to keep up my success at work, while also maintaining my social life, seeing my friends and family, pursuing my hobbies AND getting enough sleep!!! I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 4th – when I started my new position at work.
Nov 17th – my two year anniversary with Garrett

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting my new position and getting accepted in the Emerging Leaders Program at my work.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to juggle my job success so that it could include time for me and time with friends.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got in a car accident August 9th and my car was totaled. It wreaked havoc on my body a bit. Glad I got in touch with a car accident lawyer for claims assistance.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A cute laptop bag. Wow…I’m starting to feel like my life revolves around work! Boo!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mom — for always having an ear to listen, always giving great advice, and being my biggest cheerleader even though I am almost 30! Also Jeremy — for dealing his divorce with the top family lawyers with more grace than anyone I know. He deserves a medal.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I think it’s a toss up between Spears and Lohan. And if we are being honest, the aforementioned EX.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Debt — hey, it’s getting paid off though!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Taking Garrett to Humboldt, work successes, time that I spent with my family this summer.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2007?
Amsterdam by Peter, Bjorn, and John
Modern World by Wolf Parade

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:? a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, Fatter, Richer — meh. Two outta three ain’t bad.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent more time by the ocean. Got out of town a bit more. Garrett’s house has been in the process of being remodeled for almost 6 months now, and even though it’s pretty much done, it definitely took the wind out of our vacation sails for the latter part of the year.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Staying in.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
In Lincoln with my family and with Garrett — it was super fun!

21. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No but I stayed in love. It amazes me how truly smitten I still am.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Barefoot Contessa, Grey’s Anatomy, The Hills, Top Chef — TV is for zoning out, not always for changing the world.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.

24. What was the best book you read?
The Kite Runner. Such a page turner, plus quite a bit of it takes place in Fremont, where I grew up, so it was a bit nostalgic.

25. Who were your favorite musical artists?
New Pornographers, Of Montreal, Peter Bjorn & John, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Cold War Kids

26. What did you want and get?
To live with Garrett.

27. What did you want and not get?
To live with Garrett permanently.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
God I hardly remember any movies that I saw this year. Did The Descent come out this year — cuz I’m STILL talking about how scary that was!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
It’s ironic that this is the 29th question because I celebrated my 29th birthday — at Apple Hill for the day and then in keeping with tradition dinner at Latitudes.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not much — it was pretty satisfying.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I think I described my personal fashion concept pretty well here.

32. What kept you sane?
Venting.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Ryan Gosling, Peter Sarsgaard, Joaquin Phoenix, Max from Dancing with the Stars. They do it.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Reducing my “carbon footprint.” Although I have 2 things to say about that. 1. I hate that phrase, it is lame. It’s so lame that I want to obdurately oppose it, except that behind the stupid semantics its probably a smart thing to do. 2. Does that count as a political issue? Because I think it is a human issue and shouldn’t have anything to do with politics, but it is what sprung to mind first when I thought about political issues. Also lame.

35. Who did you miss?
Jenny Penny. MOVE UP HERE, damnit. And bring your ugly Christmas Sweaters.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I quite like my cousin Jim’s girlfriend Gina.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
Time is precious and you are the only person who chooses how you spend it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Physics makes us all its bitches.

My habit has always been to commit goals to writing. I like to cross things off lists and I’m ashamed to admit I can totally have the “Called it!” mentality at times. Though I’m not particularly ceremonial about New Year’s Resolutions — as evidenced by last year’s random post — I always at least think about them and at least make a few.

This year I’m taking a new approach. I decided that if I combined my year round goal setting with my New Year’s “Resolution-ing” (even though they are kind of the same thing) I would thereby assure myself a better than average chance of completing all resolutions. See how this works? More resolutions made, more to pat myself on the back for completing. It’s all convoluted mind trickery up here in my brain. I can rationalize with the best of them, I swear. You should see me at the mall, or reading the dessert menu.

Anyway, with that being said (and fully acknowledging that I owe all of you the Part 2 to my Construction Delays story), I thought I would post my New Year’s resolutions for 2008. I’ve put them in categories because I’m a hyper-organized list maker but also because I am the type of person who can get focused on one specific aspect of my life at times, so I figured at least if I had a categorized list I could still be somewhat productive even when I’m completely other ignoring things. Hmm…maybe for 2009 I will try some type of life-integration strategy so I can spin all my plates at once, but at this point that is neither here nor there. So without further ado, here are my goals for 2008 — what are you all doing?

Daily Life
Consistently dress professionally at work (including hair, makeup, and all those details — and even on casual Friday)
See more movies by myself
Floss nightly
Pack lighter on trips
Swear less
Stretch Daily
Be more diligent and timely about Thank You Notes
Get back to my old more “creative” habits (I hate the word crafty, but basically get my craft on!)

Home
Organize a crafting space
Print out more of my photos
Throw out old clothes
FINALLY find a closet organization system that works
Grow an herb garden
Get a dog

Health and Wellness
Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3x per week (outside as much as possible!)
Do yoga once per week
Get back to my free weight loving self
Use sunscreen more vigilantly (especially on face — SPF make up is not enough! Do you want to look like a leather face?)
Do the Couch to 5k program
Run 5k
Go hiking (preferably with Garrett) at least once a month
Get teeth cleaned twice

Family and Friends
Acknowledge all birthdays at least with a phone call
Give presents and send cards on time
Host at least one party/bbq/soiree
Make and send more mix CDs
Send a care package for no reason
Be a better emailer
Keep address book updated
Send Christmas cards with non-obnoxious update letter

Cooking and Baking
Go to Farmers Market at least once per month
Make Jam
Use crock pot more
Try Pickling peppers and veggies
Make an infused Olive Oil
Make at least one meal from one of my MANY cookbooks per week
Make chicken stock from scratch
Plan meals
Purchase and wear apron
Take a cooking class
Go wine tasting twice this year (even if that just means to pick up your wine club shippment and have a glass you have never tasted)
Try at least one new restaurant per month (hello, entertainment book!)
Go out for dinner with friends at least once per month
Bake something every other week (but take to work so it doesn’t sit around the house forcing me against my will to eat the whole thing)

Brain
Read at least 30 books
Start learning a new language
Blog about books that I read
Learn to knit again (see: get craft on)
Blog 2-3 times per week
Make the move to typepad
Take a photography class
Purse freelance writing opportunities more diligently

Money
Get student loans under control
Continue with debt reduction plan
Start saving 10%
Purchase a bookkeeping program for computer

Love
Make something for Garrett
Listen more, talk less
Plan at least 2 weekends out of town just for the two of us (not for weddings, not for holidays, not for parties)
Think before I speak when I’m angry
Commit his small daily gestures to memory and keep in mind during the “thinking before speaking when angry”
Go on more McKinley picnics

Career
Fret not, I do have a multitude of career goals, though I won’t be posting them here. I did, however, get into an awesome program this year at my job called Emerging Leaders which is definitely going to help me fine tune some of my long term career goals which I am really excited about. I may post a bit about that, but I’m pretty much sticking to my No Talking About Work rule.

Consumption
Buy a car
Buy a new computer
Buy a brown coat
Buy an SLR
Buy photoshop